PROMOTIONChuan Chuan Xiang is a local delicacy from
Chengdu, China, which offers a twist on the
country’s traditional hot pot meal. Ingredients
such as pre-sauced beef, pork, chicken and
fresh vegetables are skewered on bamboo
sticks and then boiled in a broth with dozens
of seasonings until well cooked, then served
with a choice of sesame oil, garlic, oyster
sauce and vinegar among other flavorings.
It’s estimated that China, with its extensive
food culture, has hundreds of thousands of
versions of hot pot, however Yuan’s Chuan
Chuan Xiang is considered one of the best.
The restaurant brand, founded in 1996, has
gone on to be the only one of its kind to
receive the title of “Well-Known Brand in Sich-
uan Province” conferred by the government.
Yuan Gang, the founder of Yuan’s Chuan
Chuan Xiang was raised in a remote and
impoverished village in Sichuan province,
which he left for Chengdu to make a living
with a total of RMB63 (US$10) in his pocket.
He had a vision to try something new. At that
time, locals considered Chuan Chuan Xiang
street food—a far cry from upmarket fare.
Diners might snack on a skewer while walk-
ing along the road or sit on a stool around a
shoddy table in the open air. In respect to tra-
ditional food, Yuan shattered the stereotype,
taking Chuan Chuan Xiang off the street and
into a spacious and bright environment with
comfortable tables and chairs.
At the same time, Yuan introduced the
concept of self-service, letting customers pick
the number and variety of ingredients they
wanted to put in their hot pot to create their
own individualized meal. It gradually caused
a historic transformation of Chuan Chuan
Xiang. The local traditional street food has
evolved into a healthier and higher-end offer-
ing. In this regard, Yuan can be considered
the father of China’s modern Chuan Chuan
Xiang.
Today, Yuan’s Chuan Chuan Xiang
operates more than 400 restaurants
across China and abroad, and more than
three billion skewers are consumed
annually. With its franchise strategy featuring
“Copy+Integration+Sharing,” the brand pur-
sues a philosophy of “simplification, standard-
ization and specialization.” In recent years, 10
to 20 new Yuan’s Chuan Chuan Xiang restau-
rants open every month nationwide, covering
960 square kilometers in total across China.With the franchise’s success firmly established
at home, Yuan has set his sights further afield,
and Yuan’s Chuan Chuan Xiang is the first of
its kind to expand operations overseas. So far,
it has opened a restaurant in Vancouver and
in Sydney to acclaim, and a third restaurant in
Amsterdam is scheduled to open soon.
China is now the second-largest economy
in the world, and at the same time the popu-
larity of Chinese food continues to grow
across the globe. Under supportive mea-
sures such as the “Belt and Road” initiative
promoted by the Chinese government to
enhance regional connectivity, the beauty
and charms of China’s heritage are unfolding
to a worldwide audience.
From his humble beginnings, Yuan has
forged ahead to expand Chinese food culture
in the global marketplace. The history of the
founding and development of Yuan’s Chuan
Chuan Xiang is a vivid reflection of Chinese
people’s life and struggles, epitomizing the
various enterprises in China that began as
something small and went on to grow and
flourish before finally stepping out into the
global arena.Restaurant founder Yuan Gang has taken one of China’s favorite dishes upmarket, and now
plans to build the brand overseas on the back of its continuing success at home.YUAN’S CHUAN CHUAN XIANG:
GOURMET FOOD FROM CHINA
Yuan Gang, the founder of
Yuan’s Chuan Chuan XiangYuan’s Chuan Chuan Xiang